Single use flexible container device



Jan. 29, 1957 R. W. HOAG SINGLE USE FLEXIBLE CONTAINER DEVICE Filed Feb. 16, 1956 I 171%? imagw/f 1 (12w United States Patent SINGLE USE FLEXIBLE CONTAINER DEVICE Roderick W. Hoag, Melrose, Mass.

Application February 16, 1956, Serial No. 566,041

4 Claims. (Cl. 206-46) The present invention relates to single use flexible transparent containers, particularly adapted for use as a container for liquid and granular products.

An important use of this container is for serving portions of syrups, jams and jellies. However, the container is also adapted for packing, displaying and serving powdered, granular and solid materials.

One object of this invention is to provide a sealed, readily opened flexible expandable container which may be attached to an expandable cardboard stand, so that the product may be readily displayed and served in table service.

Another object is to provide a stand of such construction that the bottom of the flexible container may be readily attached thereto in such a position that the center of gravity of the contents of the container is lowered, so as to provide a package which is more stable to hold its vertical position when placed on a table for display or use.

The further objects and advantages of my improved contained and stand will appear from the following detailed description, and the features of novelty will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the annexed drawing illustrating the invention and the use thereof Fig. 1 is an elevation of the flexible container before it is attached to the stand;

Fig. 2 is a cross section taken along the line 22 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the stand before the container is attached thereto;

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation, the section being taken along line 4-4 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an elevation illustrating the filled and sealed container attached to the stand;

Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation, the section being taken along line 66 in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the container and stand, the container being shown torn open in one manner of use thereof;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the container and stand with the container torn open in another way illustrating another manner of use thereof.

Referring in detail to the drawing, particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, the container 10 is formed preferably of a transparent thermoplastic material, the marginal edges 11, 12, whereof may be joined in any well known manner, as by pressing or crimping or in any other suitable manner. At one upper corner of the container diagonal crimps 13 may be formed to provide tearing lines for ease in tearing oil the corner for opening the container for pouring liquid or fluent contents therefrom as shown in Fig. 8.

To provide a stand to which the bottom of the container may be attached, as by any suitable adhesive, a mount 15 is formed of a strip of paper board or other stiff material, preferably bent so as to form a bottom portion 16; converging side portions 18 and 20 extending therefrom and terminating in superposed end portions 22,

any desired manner.

In assembling the filled container ontothe stand the bottom portion 14 of the container is pressed upwardly and attached by a suitable adhesive to the top portions 22, 24, of the stand and the downwardly diverging portions of the bottom, as shown in Fig. 5, are attached to portions 18, 20 of the stand.

When the receptacle is so attached to the stand it may be placed upright for display and may also be placed on the table for use of the contents. By reason of the raised bottom of the container the center of gravity of the contents is considerably lowered as shown in Fig. 6, thus materially increasing the stability of the assembled device.

In use, should it be desired to obtain access to the contents of the container, the top portion 12 of the container may be torn off and a spoon inserted as shown in Fig. 7 of the drawing. Should it be desired to pour the contents from the container, the diagonal portion 13 may be torn away and the contents emptied through the corner opening as shown in Fig. 8.

It will be understood that although i have described the container as formed of transparent, preferably thermoplastic material, other material may be used, such as metal foil or other flexible material.

Many variations will occur to persons skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with a flexible sealed container containing fluent material, said container having a tear portion adjacent an edge thereof, a stand to which the bottom of the container may be attached, said stand being formed of expandable material, comprising a bottom portion, upwardly converging side portion and a top portion extending from side portions and substantially parallel to the bottom portion, the bottom of said container being bent upwards centrally thereof and attached to said top portion of the stand, and the extremities of said container bottom extending downward from said central portion along the converging side portions of the stand.

2. A package comprising a flexible sealed container containing fluent material, said container being formed of adjacent layers of flexible material sealed together at the edges, the central portion of the bottom of said container being bent upwardly and inwardly, and a stand to which the bottom of said container is attached, said stand having a substantially trapezoidal formation comprising a bottom portion, upwardly converging side portions and a top portion substantially parallel to said bottom portion, said bottom portion of said container being attached to said top and converging sides of said stand, whereby the center of gravity of the contents of the container is lowered to provide increased stability to the package when resting upright on a support.

3. in combination with a flexible sealed container containing fluent material, said container having a tear portion adjacent an edge thereof, a stand to which the bottom of the container may be attached, said stand being formed of a strip of paperboard, comprising a bottom portion, upwardly converging side portion and a top portion extending from said side portions and substantially parallel to the bottom portion, the bottom of said container being bent upwards centrally thereof and attached to said top portion of the stand, and the extremities of said container bottom extending downward from said central portion along the converging side portions of the stand.

tion substantially parallel to said bottom portion, said bot- 10 4 tom portion of said container being attached to said top and converging sides of said stand, whereby the center of gravity of the contents of the container is lowered to provide increased stability to the package when resting 5 upright on a support.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Snelling May 10, 1938 Weckesser Apr. 14, 1953 

